As part of an ongoing collaboration between the GRG and Wenona School, PhD students Ratneel Deo, Kate Whitton and myself visited One Tree Reef (June 29-July 6, 2024) with 19 female high school students and two Wenona Science teachers as part of the biannual Wenona STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) Tour.
Together we undertook a really exciting teaching and research campaign around the island and on the reef.
Research projects included:
- Ecological surveys of the reef flat and slope following the devastating bleaching in Feb, 2024.
- RTK and aerial drone surveys on One Tree Island and surrounding rubble deposits to track shoreline and rubble flat sediment dynamics.
- Deployment of sophisticated instruments to measure hydrodynamic processes including waves and currents on the windward reef slope in the spurs and grooves and in the gutter.
- Crucial servicing and maintenance of long term wave rider instruments currently depolyed on the reef slope.
- GIS mapping of reef flat storm block distribution and composition.
- The first ever ROV surveys of geological substrates and modern benthos inhabiting the drowned fossil reefs now in about 50 m depth on the adjacent shelf.
Overall it was a really great trip. We collected some fantastic new data and it was a real joy to be able to teach/show the students the processes/products that characterise the spectacular and diverse reef environments that make up One Tree Reef.
You can read all about the Wenona students impressions of the One Tree Island adventure in their own words here: https://www.wenona.nsw.edu.au/active/news/2024-term-3/the-stem-tour-2024. Also a very special thank you to the OTIRS station managers Ruby Holmes and Heinrich Breuer for taking such good care of us during our stay. We look forward to the next STEM trip planned for 2026.
Cheers
Jody
#marine science
Geocoastal Research Group 